The ultimate goal of any project is to make the production process work per the customer’s specification. Quality Assurance is the monitoring and assessment of each project detail to achieve a high standard of quality and craftsmanship.
EPIC has a dedicated Quality Assurance Specialist who oversees our rigorous EH&S quality assurance (QA) program. This proprietary QA process features a multi-step system beginning from concept phase and continuing through our fabrication plant startup. Our QA program covers many areas, including:
Material Control
- Heat transfer numbers for pipes and fittings are monitored and tracked
- Materials are kept in a controlled and clean environment
- Materials are segregated for the elimination of cross-contamination; we have a separate carbon steel plant.
- Tools are segregated; carbon steel plant tools are never used outside the carbon steel plant
Welding
- Our full-time certified Welding Inspector oversees all welding activities in the plant and performs all welding procedure qualification testing
- All EPIC welders pass the necessary welding procedure qualifications and meet welding procedure specifications for each job
- EPIC performs Non-Destructible Examinations (NDE’s) for every weld test
- American Welding Society(AWS) standards adhered for every job
- Our quality control program covers all welding completed in our fabrication plant, including Flux Core Arc Welding(FCAW), Gas Metal Arc Welding(GMAW), and Shielded Metal Arc Welding(SMAW)
- Read more about EPIC’s welding practices
Testing
- Calibration standards are checked by our Quality Assurance Specialist, including pressure tests with up-to-date gauges
- FAT testing – FAT testing is completed for every project fabricated in EPIC’s plant. It is overseen simultaneously by our Quality Assurance Specialist and Project Manager.
Quality Checks
A series of quality checks are performed throughout the assembly, fabrication and testing process. These checks include:
- Dimensional checks
- Pressure checks
- Alignment checks
- Plumb and level checks
- Weld checks
Complete Quality Assurance
Our complete quality assurance program includes quality control checks by our skilled craftsmen, our quality fabrication plant foreman, our quality control specialist, and the project manager.
Structural Fabrication
- Structural member size verification
- Equipment anchor bolt hole layout verification
- Dimensional verification
- Squareness & plumb/level check
- Visual weld quality verification
- Overall structural quality fabrication acceptance
Structural Assembly
- Bolt grade check
- Bolt length check
- Bolt torque check
- Head clearance check, no knockers
- Squareness & plumb/level check
- Flooring supported properly
- Handrail, toe plates, guarding installed where required
- All lifting braces and/or devices installed
- Material reports documented
- Overall structural assembly acceptance
Equipment Setting
- Squareness & plumb/level check
- Orientation check
- Bolt grade check
- Bolt length check
- Bolt torque check
- Equipment is clean and free of debris
- alignment and gear box lubrication check
- Overall equipment setting acceptance
Piping Fabrication
- Flange/fitting orientation verification
- Pipe schedule and MOC verification
- Pipe spool dimension verification
- Pipe spool label verification
- Visual weld quality verification
- NDE requirement fulfilled
- Post fabrication treatments fulfilled
- Overall piping fabrication acceptance
Piping, Valves, Mechanical Specialties & Instrumentation Assembly
- Squareness & plumb/level check
- Gasket check
- Bolt grade check
- Bolt length check
- Bolt torque check and mark
- Piping and specialities are properly routed and supported
- Swagelok tubing varied with no-go tool
- Threaded piping taped and doped
- Remote instruments properly supported
- Indicating instrument visibility
- Adequate space to actuate valves
- Adequate space to service instruments and specialties
- P&ID yellowline Check
- Pressure leak tests performed
- Post hydro-instate
- Equipment properly drained or chemically safeguarded(i.e. glycol solution)
- Pipe labels installed with proper flow, colors, and/or commodities
- Equipment, instrument, and valve tags installed
- Overall piping, valves, mechanical specialties and instrumentation acceptance
Insulation
- Insulation material and thickness check
- Jacketing material check
- Shields and blocks installed at supports
- Seams down
- Seams sealed
- Ends sealed or capped
- Banding is tight
- Blankets installed properly
- Overall insulation acceptance
Surface Finishing
- Correct metal finish
- Correct paint finish and thickness
- Acceptable galvanizing finish and thickness
- Overall surface finish acceptance
Electrical Panel Assembly
- Component layout verified
- Panel labeling complete
- Cut outs verified
- Fuse/CB size checks complete
- Signal cable shield grounding verified
- Wire color codes verified
- Screw torque checks complete
- Conduit entries/drip loops verified
- Power/signal wiring separation
- Point to point checks are complete
- Power up tests are complete
- Overall electrical panel acceptance
Electrical Installation
- All enclosures and control panels are clean and free of debris
- Conduit entries/drip loops are in correct locations
- Panel labeling verified
- Enclosure doors open freely w/ no interference
- Legend plates are square and tight
- Wires do not kink when control panels are closed
- Wires and air lines are numbered correctly
- Conduit is properly routed and supported
- Check that all labels are installed
- Check that all conduit fittings are tights and have gaskets & covers installed
- Check misc. hardware (enclosure mounting, etc.)
- Point to point checks are complete
- Power up tests are complete
- Component accessibility verified
- NEC requirements are met
- NEC-Haz area requirements are met
- Check EPIC label installed and straight
- Client specifications are met
- Grounding checks completed
- Electrical ringout performed (yellow lined)
- Overall electrical acceptance
Packaging Shipping
- Overall system clean up and wipe down
- Sensitive instruments are disassembled and packed securely
- Cribbing, blocking, and banding installed
- Temporary shipping braces are clearly identified for removal later
- Loading and rigging plan reviewed with Project Manager
- Equipment ordered for rigging
- Overall packaging/shipping acceptance
EPIC completes turnkey systems in our full service fabrication plant. For more information regarding EPIC’s turnkey projects or our quality control program, please contact an engineer today.
EPIC SYSTEMS